No matter how hard I try,..I cannot use the shortbow. What the heck am I doing wrong? Lev 4 Militia with a plus 5 bow skill,...are the controls different for bows? I'm puzzled.

Bows are fired by hitting forward while holding Ctrl or left click and aimed simply by moving your view until your chosen target is highlighted. Is that your problem?
If not, do you actually have any arrows? Bows need ammunition (as do crossbows) and when you run out you can no longer use it.
Alternately, if your problem is with equipping the bow what you need to do is equip it in the inventory and then switch to it with number key 2 (you can get back to your melee weapon with 1).

If your problem is hitting, not shooting: Bows have a very low hit chance, and you might fire countless arrows without any of them hitting. This will of cource get better when you increase your bow skill

Also note that distance plays a big part; your accuracy dramatically increases the closer you are to your target.

For myself, I found that bows were mostly useless because you can do more damage with melee weapons and because your foes will frequently rush you in groups. The one thing they are good for is standing on top of a rock, or on a tall tree-stump, or in an actual tree, and shooting at enemies below who couldn't reach me. You can win unwinnable battles that way.

Not that useless as you think. I finished the game with dex-based Dragon Hunter archer and with dex near 200 and 100% bow skill I didn't ever have to draw a sword. Very nice and relaxing playthrough. Dragons were a joke.

dragons were a joke with or without the night of the raven add on?

With the add-on. I used Dragon Bow and it didn't even have a chance to get near me.